We played harmless pranks on each other in high school. Stole liquor one time, got drunk and puked it up. Talked about sex—how it stays hard . . . what you do . . . don’t do . . . dirty names for the girl part.

There’s no skin in heaven.

All of us were drunk on fun. A celebration of Kool-Aid puddle and little-kid noise, cake, cakey fingers, singing and yucky yucks

Oh my. A naked woman in love. Oh my.

I enjoyed sitting behind him, watching. God he was handsome. How many times had I admired him? His backside, his shoulders, slim hips, long legs, his oval eyes, fingers, ring finger. I should give him a ring to wear. I’d slip it on his finger. Usually I don’t like a ski-jump nose: I liked his. Can I say love? I was almost beside myself when Miss Sally opened the door at 2 p.m. and said she was leaving for the day.

I never knew a pilot. I never knew there were girl pilots. What does a girl pilot do?”“Flies planes and eats possum.

Inside the envelope was a second envelope with two hundred and forty dollars wrapped inside a carbon copy of a bill marked paid and signed by the previous owner’s wife. I counted it thrice to be accurate. Again for the pleasure. Then just to feel joy. Oh my, sweet goddamn. Sweetest goddamn. I sat for a few minutes doing nothing but feeling the money in my hands.

Now the radio people—that is the ones I liked—finished most every one of their words, clear and succinct. It was crisp talk. It said you were going someplace important …

It was odd–talking to the trees, so I made a joke out of it. While sitting by a pawpaw tree, I whispered, “Is this where you grew up? . . . (Yes, and I never left home) . . . I hope to leave home . . . (Wish I could).” I laughed so hard at a tree wanting to leave home, I keeled over. Then I cried. I knew why but I couldn’t think about it or I’d cry all day.

Yes, I knew how to keep a secret since I was a girl and saw my uncle murder Zeke. I had learned to act like nothing had ever happened, how to walk across the crime scene and smile against my fears.